Magic

Contents

Magic is the power that actually binds the universe together. It encompasses not just the connections all things have with each other, but includes the aether through which these relationships flow.[1] Magic is the essence, belief is the glue; all is connected to each other. These connections may not always be clear to the mundane senses of sight, smell, and the like, but that does not mean they are less real. Cause and effect, action and interaction--all occur through the correspondences of nature. In conjunction with the elements of air, fire, earth, and water, all act to produce a desired result. Magic is considered the opposite of Science.

Magic and magical encounters are part of the very fabric of the universe. Without it Daventry itself would not be, could not be. It was to preserve Magic, mystique, wonder, and enchantment--the nonrational aspects of existence--that Daventry withdrew from the greater multiverse. Indeed, it was only through Magic itself that they were even able to withdraw. And it is only through continued practice and use of the arcane arts that the people are able to preserve and protect their very being. From the simplest charms and trivial spells, the plucking of a four-leafed clover or the knocking of wood, to the cosmos shattering invocations of the most fearsome Paradimensional deities, Magic is not just part but the very fabric of reality.

All types of magic practitioners come in the flavors of good and evil, and the shades of black and white. They are known to follow both the Left-Hand as well as the Right-Hand paths. It is through the use of the various magics that Daventry continues to exist. Evil follows good as night follows day. If Magic was to go away, so would Daventry. For Daventry to stop existing would be the greatest of evils.

Magic is occasionally referred to as the Art.[2] As magic users maybe focused on different schools of magic, including black, white, and the elements: these different fields are referred to as the colors of magic. Generaly speaking most users of dark magic tend to be evil, and all practitioner of white magic tend to be good this is not always the case. There is potential for each school to be corrupted and used for evil or in other cases for good. As such the Society of Wizards is known to allow sorcerers, warlocks, and even necromancers as members.

Much of magic is based on words, artifice, or artifact. Iconomancy is a magic form without words, rather based on pictures and Icons.[3]

The great principles of magic include "As above, so below" and "Nothing is as it appears".[4] The minute is attached to the mighty. The flame of the candle and the flame of of love are one, and they too are one with the flame of life . With the use of the proper words or actions or magical tools, the relationships implicit in the aether are made explicit. Together the essence, the elements, and the principle both create and control reality. It is through the art of Magic that magicians know, understand, and manipulate these connections.

The practice of magic is both an art and a craft. To practice Magic at all is to practice it exactly and correctly. To do neither leads to dead wizards or worse. One may find odd statuary, pillars of salt, mounds of dust, fluffy furries, or half-human half-insect abominations that were once users of the arcane arts who made a simple mistake, ones who did not follow craft to the last letter. Some things are worse than death. For the art of Magic to work, the craft of Magic must be carried out with no substitutiones, exceptions, or shortcuts. Nothing must be taken for granted and no factors may be fudged.

Because the craft must be practiced with concentration and precision, it is in the best interests of the individual wizards and their ilk to record in some manner the proper route to the completion of various mystical processes. To this end there arose over the eons a fabulous library of magical books--books that collected and explicated the great spells and conjurations devised and duplicated throughout the ages by the greatest of sorcerers. As a result many general provisioners stock on their shelves a myriad of manuscript titles covering all areas of the mystical arts, snug against vials of generic toad spittle, eye of newt, beetle juice, and the like. Hobbyiests, apprentices, and even graduates of the various academies of magic can find all their basic supplies and all they need to know in virtually any town.

The ability to use magic is often inherited, and the offspring of the caster have the potential to be great magic users in their own right.[5]

It is said that any spell, no matter how powerful, could always be removed by another magician of sufficient skill.[6] However, this doesn't seem to be the case with a few rare spells: Transforming Another into a Cat for example states that the person who it is cast on is stuck as a cat 'forever!', and there is no evidence of it ever wearing off on its own. However, some suggest that this particular spell can only be undone by the perpetrator of the spell.[7]Perhaps there are still other ways that someone else could break the spell, but if so that information is nto common knowledge.

Some magic is cast by the use of powerful spell words; Words of Power. Many of the examples below contain much potency. Sometimes there is a need for an entire phrase or sentence to cast a spell. Often it is the full spell phrases are required to enchant objects after items are prepared (see spell books). Sometimes a wand or staff is needed, or the artifact related to the spell, but for some simply the word being spoken is enough to cast or break the enchantment.

Little is known about this type of magic (rune magic), but it is linked to the use of magic wands, and while it is based on 'letters' it does not seem to be related to any specific 'words'. Indeed it appears for this magic to work the wand must be gestured (actions) in the correct shape of a rune or several runes and in the right order (the runes required may change for whatever reason). Cedric's wand is associated with this type of magic.[8] Some of these spells include:

Some forms of magic do not require words or wands, but simply require actions, and gestures. They do not require the caster to actually speak, but perhaps think. Manannan's Zap spell may be like this in some instances, but other times requires him to say mumbojumbos.

For the most part for this kind of magic to function the user must have hands, in which to gesture with.

This is perhaps one of the more powerful forms of magic be it related to djinn, faeries or an artifact, wish magic may require a verbal wish, or simply 'thought'. It is as powerful as the imagination of the caster. Though in some cases there are limitations (the djinn may only grant three wishes before the magic is used up).

It is implied in the King's Quest Companion, and in the novels, that for one to be able to use 'spellwords', one must be born with the gift of magic. In some cases an object of power such as a magic wand, or staff is needed in addition to the spell word for the potential magic user to cast the spell. In some cases it may be possible in the case magic object with a spell word tied directly to it (such as the magic bowl), that magic of the object itself does all the work, even if a non-magic user activates the object through the use of the spell word. Thus the poor family would forever be able to use the bowl to gain stew, although themselves showing no magical prowess.

Alexander has shown great magical potential throughout the games, and spin off material, from his first time casting spells using a magic wand to escape Manannan, to his travels to train and learn more about the arts, and ultimately his advanced spell casting in the Green Isles.

His father Graham is less focused on the arts, but has shown that he is capable of using magic (with the use of a magic wand, or spell book), and the spells of Iconomancy, as well as a few magical artifacts; Magic Staff, Magic Bowl, and the Magic Amulet (though some of these may be special cases that do not require even a novice magician to be able to function). Though Graham's full abilities and limits are unknown.